No Rest For The Super
by MiaGhost
Summary: (Sequel to Why Superheroes Need Their Sleep.) They know, and after misunderstandings and broken hearts they're finding a stability in each other once more. There's only one problem. Alya's put the pieces together. And Nino won't be far behind.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One_

 _ **LBLB**_

"Whatever you say, _Bugaboo_." Adrien yawned in reply.

There was a stunned silence as Marinette paled dramatically and Nino and Alya just _stared_. It took several long, horrifying seconds before Adrien's eyes popped open and instantly met Marinette's gaze. She could see her own dread reflected in his eyes as he sat up painfully slowly. Neither of them blinked as they looked at each other in a shared and silent panic. It was eventually Alya who spoke, her voice making Marinette flinch as Adrien cringed away from it.

"Oh my _god_. You two sound like…"

Alya trailed off, her expression freezing on her face as she stared at them with widening eyes. Nino didn't seem to notice, chuckling and finishing her thought.

"Like an old married couple. Honestly, what's with you? You can totally tell us if you're dating, y'know. You guys are acting so _weird_ , dude."

Alya looked at Marinette, really _truly_ looked at her and Marinette _knew_. Her blue eyes widened as she watched the cogs turning behind those black glasses, watched the way in which realisation was flooding the depths of Alya's eyes. Her heart was racing and she was beginning to freak out.

Alya _knew_.

 _ **LBLB**_

 _ **LBLB**_

"Can you make it till break? Please? We'll explain. But- But there will have to be… Conditions."

She flashed nervous eyes at her journalist friend.

"There _have_ to be."

 _ **LBLB**_

 _ **LBLB**_

Chloé Bourgeois let out a dreadful screech.

"DID YOU JUST _KISS_ HER HAND?"

 _ **LBLB**_

Of course, plans have a habit of going awry.

The screaming started mere minutes before the bell would ring for break, a shrill shriek that ensured everyone in the classroom was no longer paying attention to their worksheets. Marinette tensed, half out of her seat as silence fell, everyone holding their breath. It sounded again, and this time it kept going, howling and screeching that rang through the hallways, through the closed doorway. Their teacher closed her book.

"Okay, class. You know the drill. Single file, _sensibly_. No running if we can help it, okay?"

Marinette was out of her seat like a shot as the class descended into ordered chaos, leaping the steps past Adrien's desk. She didn't need to look to know he was on her heels, where he always was.

"Nett!" Nino called.

As she raced through the door into the hall in search of a corner, anywhere to transform, Marinette heard Alya answer their frightened friend.

"Nino, wait."

"Locker rooms?" Adrien spoke, focused and level as they ran through the filling corridor, Cat Noir in his voice.

"Art." Marinette answered, grabbing hold of the wall to swing herself around the corner.

"Good call."

She threw the storeroom door open, knowing it wouldn't be long till there were people in this corridor too, not wanting to be caught out. Adrien was right beside her even as she turned to pull the door closed. Despite the fact that they were about to suit up, Marinette felt it thrum under her skin. Their eyes met in that confined space, and she could see he was feeling it too.

They were back.

They were different, they had issues to work on.

But they were _back_.

Adrien flashed her a wide grin.

"Spots on!"

"Claws out!"

The pink and green met in the air of that small space and LadyBug's breath caught. Not just to see the beauty of the colours surrounding each other, but also to find herself fafe to face with her leather-clad partner. She'd yet to get used to that. (And it was kind of awesome.)

"We should meet like this more often, Milady." Cat said, bending at the waist to catch her hand and place a kiss upon the knuckles.

LadyBug watched, her lips smirking and her cheeks glowing.

"Save it, Kitty Cat." she answered, just like usual.

But she didn't snatch her hand back. Cat's grin was wide and wonderful.

"I'll hold you to that, then." he replied, winking, "Later, I mean."

LadyBug laughed, reaching around him for the handle of the door.

"We have a job to do."

"Indeed we do."

He made to squeeze out, but LadyBug didn't push the door open just yet. Instead she took a shallow breath and reached up on her toes to place a peck on his cheek. When Cat Noir's surprised eyes found her, she shrugged.

"Kissing your hand kinda feels like I'm stealing your moves."

Side by side, they vaulted the balcony to the hub hall where the students were streaming towards the main steps. Somewhere, somewhere close, the akuma was wreaking havoc. LadyBug swung her yo-yo from one of the industrial lights, and when she dropped down Cat Noir was there, right underneath her as his Sabre contracted to it's usual length. She landed in a crouch beside him, and when she lifted her head he had already offered her his hand. She took it with a smile and let him pull her up beside him.

"Nice entrance, Bugaboo."

LadyBug laughed, adjusting her yo-yo in her grip as she swivelled her head to look for the sourced of the bellowing roar.

"Landed on my feet, too." she answered. "Isn't that your specialty?"

She heard him chuckle as she headed off, his footsteps right on her tail.

"Milady! You made a joke!"

LadyBug just grinned, unable to think of a witty response because he sounded so happy about the prospect of her trying to joke. So maybe their push-and-pull dynamic would be different. It didn't mean it wouldn't work. The anxiety she had been beginning to fear melted away before it could take proper hold. There was no reason to worry about how they'd cope as partners, knowing who was under the masks.

Tikki had comforted a glum Marinette two nights ago with the reassurance that all was not lost and that perhaps knowing would make them stronger.

She hadn't put stock in it at the time, too busy worrying about whether she would be able to let go and allow Cat Noir to be in all the danger they always were, knowing it was Adrien Agreste underneath.

But what Marinette had come to realise was that Adrien wasn't as fragile as she had always thought. In fact he was strong, stronger maybe even than her. And when it really came down to it, Marinette didn't know Adrien all that well at all.

 _But Cat Noir?_ she thought, with a brief glance over her shoulder, _Cat Noir she knew._


	2. Chapter 2

_**(A/N):** So our two loveable heroes are back! I know I gave you guys the first chapter almost directly after Why Superheroes Need Their Sleep finished, and I know there are some of you who've had to wait ever so patiently since then. I want to thank you for you patience and understanding. I've been exploring other fandoms and finishing my other MLB story (Spotted Snowballs, now complete - Yay I managed it!) and I feel like I'm always saying life got in the way but juggling work and University studies (A novel a week is the pace for one class atm, barely keeping up there) a Creative Writing class and an Independent Dissertation/Research Project thing has kept me insanely busy lately. Also working in a Supermarket at Christmas/New Year is simply two months of madness._  
 _But I digress._  
 _Welcome back, you guys!_  
 _I am totally psyched about the challenges I face in this tale; Plagg's iciness towards Marinette, Adrinette trying to find out how they work together now as civilians, Hawkmoth being awful as per and - it's on everybody's minds, I know - Alya and Nino knowing!_  
 _But I'm looking forward to meeting and addressing each element head on and seeing where it takes us!_  
 _You are all wonderful and I value your feedback and comments of support and criticism. (Even the comments that are just Pterodactyl noises and keyboard mashing, those make me laugh an inordinate amount.) This is a true work in progress like most of my work - I have no idea where we're headed right now. Although I do have a preliminary last chapter already, so I guess that's something. It means that I can at least guarantee nobody dies._  
 _Exciting, right? :D_  
 _Happy reading!_

* * *

 _Chapter Two_

"Chloé!" LadyBug hissed, wondering why she was so surprised.

"Oh, not _again_!" Cat groaned, his shoulders slumping just a little as they looked across the corridor. "Can't she just get a grip?"

LadyBug snorted, adjusting her yo-yo and twining the strings between the fingers of one hand.

"Chloé doesn't _do_ getting a grip. She does _getting what she wants_ and _screaming about it when she doesn't_."

Cat Noir only hummed in agreement, his eyes darting around the area as he took in everything. LadyBug paused to look at him, feeling something odd in her chest.

"I didn't know about your friendship with her." she said slowly, looking down at her yo-yo. "That whole time when we were protecting her and I was being awful, all those times I've complained about her and I didn't even stop to think she could be your friend."

"I know." he reassured her, giving her a lopsided smile she answered with a wince, "Don't worry about it. We were friends before, but… I don't think I like her very much any more. I feel kinda guilty about it."

LadyBug set her jaw as a scream reminded her of where she was. She took one last look at the sadness surrounding Cat and bent over to press a kiss beside one of his cat ears. When he looked at her in surprise she only smiled, her cheeks staining pink.

"We can talk about it, if you like." she promised, and was rewarded with his beaming, cocky grin.

"Later?" he asked, sounding hopeful, "When I get around to giving you that kiss?"

LadyBug blushed so furiously she wobbled, almost losing her balance and lowering her eyebrows to try and scowl at him. Her hand reached out to press two fingers to his cheek, turn it gently in the direction of their battle.

It was familiar, soothing almost, to do that.

Cat laughed, loud and joyful as she threw out her yo-yo and swung away, bounding after her with his Sabre out, ready.

 _They were back, back, back!_

LBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLB

Marinette's head snapped up at the gentle tap, her eyes bluer than the sky above him had been before dusk. When they caught his, she smiled. It was a lovely expression, lighting up her eyes, brightening the freckles scattered on her nose. Cat felt it warm him, despite the cooling night air. Marinette made her way over and pushed the window open for him, moving backwards to give him space to drop to the floor.

He flashed her a winning grin, loving the way she rolled her eyes and hid her smile as she went back to her seat on her bed, picking up her textbook again. He watched her for a few seconds before releasing his transformation, feeling the tingle of magic as it unpeeled itself from his skin.

Marinette and Adrien watched as Plagg fluttered, giving them a brief look before floating over to join Tikki by the dresser. The ladybug kwami zipped around him, her voice quiet but excitable as always. Marinette bit her lip to hide her grimace, the flicker of pain that flashed a line of ice through her abdomen.

Some day, hopefully someday _soon_ , she would convince the little black cat that she was worthy of the mask, worthy of Tikki and her power. And she would prove she was worthy of Adrien, that she could fix what she had broken.

"Hi."

Marinette turned her eyes on him and the gentle smile on his lips made it hard not to smile back, not that she tried to resist.

"Hey."

Adrien's smile widened, his eyes lighting as he watched the familiar pale pink curl lazily across her cheeks.

"I missed you." he said, before he'd meant to, ending with a soft chuckle and rubbing at his neck.

Marinette's cheeks grasped hold of the colour, beautiful and inviting. Her smile made his stomach fill with wings. She swallowed the instinctive urge to play his comment off, tease him. It had only been a few hours since they'd left the school grounds, headed their separate ways home. She felt a flicker of anxious fear, but she braved it anyway.

"Me too." she admitted quietly. "I…" she broke off with a nervous giggle, ducking her head and then bravely tucking a lock of hair behind one ear. Her fringe fell in her eyes when she looked up again.

Adrien felt the strength of his feelings rise like a solid thing in his stomach. He was lost, and he knew it. And he _loved_ it.

"I like this you." she said, her words reminding him of precious conversations, ones she had only braved so far when on patrol, her face half hidden by bold red and black spots.

When he only smiled wider, her eyes glinted in amusement.

"You're… I can't- Every time I think I've gotten used to it it hits me all over again. You're… You're like Cat Noir but… _sweeter._ Like Adrien but… Well, I don't really know how to say it."

"Better." he whispered as he took a step towards her, half asking.

She reached out to wrap her arms around his waist as he came close enough.

"Yes." she created, tugging him into a tight hug, her cheek resting _just right_ on his chest. "Cheekier." she added as an afterthought, and she giggled as she _sensed_ him smirk.

"Why, Milady, you _like_ my cheekiness after all."

Marinette closed her eyes and held him close with a contented sigh.

"I've always loved it, Chaton. I just… wasn't brave enough to show it."

"Just like I liked you, Mari. Sweet and shy sometimes but wicked and funny when you were with Cat Noir. You opened up so much and you were so… _you._ "

Marinette laughed, and then made a humming noise in agreement.

"It's always been easier to be around Cat than Adrien. Not in a bad way, just… easier."

"Because of…" Adrien trailed off, but it was clear what he meant.

Marinette felt herself flush from head to toe, still shy about talking so openly about how she felt. It was true she could broach the subject when she had her suit on, but as herself it was somehow much more difficult, scarier. The mask of Ladybug somehow acted as a defence, a wall of sorts.

But it was getting easier. And she was trying.

"Shut up." she answered, trying her best to hide the smile she knew he'd hear so clearly in his voice.

He chuckled in response.

"But it's so difficult to keep quiet about it!" he taunted, pulling back to turn his gleaming green eyes on her.

The scarlet in her cheeks made him giddy, the fondness in her eyes combined with that gorgeous amused irritation he so loved… Could he truly be blamed for feeling so emboldened?

"After all, my partner has this _huge_ crush on me. Can you blame me for being a bit… excited about it?"

She rolled her eyes and gave an over-dramatic sigh to cover the way her heart was racing, shoving him playfully and moving back to cross her arms and give him a barely-there glare. Her face was scarlet.

"You're not excited, you're _boasting_."

"Well…" Adrien said, turning those mischievous eyes on her and holding her gaze for an endless heartbeat, his smirk softening into a warm, butterfly-inducing smile that made Marinette's knees weak, "If you had the prettiest, sweetest and cleverest girl in all of France returning your affections, wouldn't you be boasting too?"

Marinette stared at him, feeling herself choking up unexpectedly, her eyes damp. She gave a nervous, bashful laugh and looked down at her feet before letting out her breath. Her heart was doing somersaults and she wasn't sure whether she wanted to swing through the night screaming joyously at the top of her lungs or lock herself in the bathroom to try and prevent hyperventilation.

"Who knew the great Cat Noir, akuma-fighter and fearless savour of Paris, was such a softy at heart?" she whispered, embarrassed and giddy and lost in his eyes the second she looked back up.

Adrien turned pink but he didn't look away from her, his eyes adoring.

"You did." he answered.

Marinette smiled, looking down at her feet as it became a grin and overtook her commands.

"I did."

"You're my partner and my friend first and foremost." he said, after a long, comfortably quiet moment like that.

Marinette looked up to see him watching her, his eyes heavy with that emotion she _knew_ was love.

"But I do… I do like you, Mari. A _lot_."

He shuffled, looking uncomfortable and out of place. Somewhere closer to the Adrien she used to know than Cat Noir. Marinette was terrified, suddenly and fiercely, in that moment. But she took a breath and she swallowed hard and she closed her eyes.

And then she looked at him, her smile true and fond.

"I like you a lot too." she admitted in a whisper he almost didn't hear.

Adrien grinned, lovely and bright and lighting up his eyes so that they positively _sparkled_.

"Mecha Strike III?" he asked, reaching for her hand to pull her over to the desk. "I learned a new combo move and I want to see if it can beat you."

Surprisingly, Marinette was perfectly okay with the change of subject, relieved to find she wasn't even the least bit offended. Rejection didn't sting at her. Instead she felt exactly right, like they were where she needed them to be. If she forced herself to address it, there was no doubt. She belonged utterly to Adrien, and hoped he was hers in return. That much was truer than anything else she knew.

But where they were right now? It was a beautiful type of perfection.

"It won't." she grinned, tossing him a controller and taking the chair next to his as he switched the game on for them. "My new armour is the best."

Adrien laughed, and when he looked over as Marinette signed in, watching the TV light flicker over her face as she chose her saved character, he felt his chest warm in that familiar, pleasant way. She was his friend and his partner and very possibly that something else, all of her wrapped up and labelled _Marinette_. He couldn't ask for better, and even if he could he wouldn't.

She was his Bugaboo, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

_(A/N): So uhhhh... Hi Guys._

 _Happy Reading!_

 _Chapter Three_

"-get it! How can you be so _calm_ when we-" Alya's voice broke off hard, like she'd remembered where they were.

Or, more likely, like Nino had reminded her.

" _When we know!_ " she hissed instead.

Nino's exasperated sigh could be heard in reply, but his words were too quiet under the thrumming of Marinette's heartbeat in her ears.

Adrien slipped his hand into hers and squeezed. She looked up at him, his lopsided smile taking the edge from her nerves. They hadn't talked about how they were going to be at school, whether they'd let everyone know, how they'd act together, whether they were comfortable with holding hands or- or-

"It's gonna be okay, Mari." he murmured, shifting to stand very close beside her. "Want me to let go?"

She bit her lip, eying their hands, heart skipping at the sight she'd longed for for so long. Adrien loosened his grip.

"Sorry," she whispered back, meeting his eye again, "I'm just… I'm _scared_ , Chaton."

Adrien let go, instead slinging an arm around her shoulders, dropping a kiss against her hair so swiftly and so gently Marinette was only half sure he'd done so, before guiding her towards the classroom door.

"It's okay, Mari. We'll take it slow."

His grin was wide as he held the door open for her.

"Don't want Alya to explode, do we?"

Despite the panic clenched tight in her gut, Marinette was giggling as she stepped into the room, doing her best to get to her desk before she'd have to meet Alya's eyes, for she knew she couldn't walk and do so at the same time without potentially tripping over her own feet.

She slid into her seat, opening her bag on her knee and slowly drawing out the things she'd need for the first class, her eyes buying with her deliberate efforts to keep them down until she felt ready. Their friends were quiet, almost scarily so, and when Marinette had to admit she'd nothing else to take out and her bag was zipped and stowed at her feet, her eyes found Adrien.

He smiled when she looked at him, his green eyes telling her all the things he wasn't saying. She thanked him silently for waking her so early, for his plan to get to school before the masses, because she needed this time before the class started filling properly, when there was nobody with them but Ivan, on his phone and waiting for Mylène, and Nathäniel half-asleep, doodling in his pad.

"Good morning." she said, finding she couldn't look at Alya, her gaze barely meeting Nino's before she lost her nerve again.

"We're not going to tell anyone." he spoke, voice soft and reassuring. "Right, Alya?"

"Right. Cross my heart. Nobody, no blog, no saved notes, no nothing."

Marinette smiled faintly, finally looking at her. The bushy-haired girl gave her a soft smile.

"And as much as it _pains_ me, right to my core, Girl, no interviews on."

Marinette laughed, her stomach easing.

"On the topic of identities."

That was what did it. Adrien stifled a laugh too at Alya's rushed stipulation.

They'd be okay. It was going to be fine. Marinette would just have to keep telling herself that until she started to believe it, was all.


End file.
